🔗 Share this article Devouring 2025's Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a box of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the festive feeling, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will undoubtedly catch lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a good start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she meets a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to lounge on the couch and devour a box of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a awful feature, or one that’s terrible yet terrific. As always, a batch of fresh Christmas films hopes to be part of our holiday traditions—potentially even joining the ranks alongside timeless staples like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Therefore, in a noble effort to distinguish the gems from the coal, and to find the festive feeling, I watched as many recent festive movies as possible in a single day. 7.17am - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Beginning, hopefully, on a positive note. This film is the exclusive 2025 title on a popular review site's list of the best 100 Christmas movies of all time. The musical trio are trapped in the UK after finishing their global concert series and must make it back for Christmas. Their efforts are hindered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to declare they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while fans will undoubtedly catch lots of in-jokes as they try to get back using every mode of travel possible. It’s private planes, trains and automobiles. It’s not legendary, but is excellent for devotees and a good start to the day. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their relatives who must sit through it. Late Morning: Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland has been cast as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what??” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing lead Brad Mack, who has seen better days and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in prestigious English theatre. His pantomime cast-mates tell him he’s playing Buttons. “Oh no I’m not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their reply. That is, unless you’re not acquainted with traditional panto catchphrases. There are some very funny lines, some heartwarming storylines, and the rest of the cast is cracking, too. It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 A New Spin on Scrooge Danny Dyer shows up at the start of this film, too, insulting someone for the next movie straight. Might this become a new Christmas tradition? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who picks up Mr Sood, the newest interpretation on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the apparitions of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very captivating and Nayyar’s performance is flat—a problem when he’s so the focal point. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Noon: A BBC Special Before lunch for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “avoids Christmas.” But after he gets an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) convinces him spending the sum on a vacation to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to figure out how to return the excess. Fun while it lasts but not lasting. Festive score: 🎄🎄 Early Afternoon: Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the backdrop—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels comfortable and seasonal all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to do a deal for a champagne business. En route, she meets a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her the holidays in the City of Light. An expert recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the required heartwarming sensation. The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is particularly strong too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, in spite of the persuasion of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The truth is to be discovered, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a team of well-known experts and celebrities. It’s understated but sweet, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄 Late Afternoon: Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer is the head of a quarrelling American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s what this is, but in reality it’s really a combination of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally finds her strength. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 Formulaic Fun The day’s taken a dip, but thankfully here’s a new entry in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman goes on a quest to a far-off wintery locale and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher